Dead Mom Walking brings humour to the hell of losing a parent

Rachel Matlow’s gut-busting memoir made me want to call my mom — ASAP

Dead Mom Walking forced me to face not just one, but several of my worst fears: losing my mom, being diagnosed with cancer, and leaving behind a grieving child when I die. But somehow, author Rachel Matlow had me laughing through almost every scene along the way to their effervescent mother’s death from cancer. (Matlow is genderqueer and uses the pronouns she/her and they/them.)

Honestly, it took me a couple of weeks to finish this book, despite the fact that it’s immediately unputdownable because of Matlow’s lively and conversational voice. I got three-quarters of the way in, laughing out loud at Matlow’s narration as well as their mother’s witty quips. But then I stalled.

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Talking About Death Won’t Kill You is a surprisingly uplifting read

Don’t like talking about death? You’re not alone

You’re going to die. Are you ready?

Okay, my friend, I’m sorry that was abrupt. It’s truly okay if you feel like you’re not ready. I get it! You might need to do a bit of thinking about this, or a bit of reading, and there will always be time later …

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